Policing some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, Riverhead grad stays focused on doing good

Peter Cybulski may work some of the most violent streets of New York City, but he hasn’t lost sight of what inspired him to put on a city police badge in the first place: his desire to help others.

“I just want to make people feel safe,” said Cybulski, who graduated from Riverhead High School in 2009. “Every day when I put on my uniform, I set out to do that.”

Policing the eastern outskirts of Brooklyn, he has had plenty of opportunity to do so. The jarring noise of gunshots is an everyday occurrence in the 75th precinct, where Cybulski has spent the past two and a half years as a patrol officer.

“There is a lot of gang violence,” he said. “We have shootings all the time.”

And after two and a half years on the force, he is already being recognized for his efforts. Cybulski received two awards for his service last month, including a medal for recovering a loaded illegal gun and a “cop of the month” award.

A lifelong Riverhead resident, Cybulski joined the New York City Police Department through a cadet program at St. John’s University, which guaranteed him a spot in the police academy. Barely a month after graduating with his legal studies degree, Cybulski plunged headfirst into the department’s notoriously challenging police training program.

“It was definitely tough,” he says today. “It’s a crash course of everything you need to know.”

After six months of classes and physical training, Cybulski was awarded his badge and thrown onto the streets of some of New York City’s most dangerous neighborhoods.

“They used to take all the new cops and put them in the most violent high-crime areas,” he said. “I guess they were hoping to increase visibility and bring down crime. When I went out there, it was just me and another rookie.”

Though the experience was certainly a dramatic change from life in Riverhead, Cybulski says he felt well-prepared by the department’s training program. “You know what you’re getting into,” he said. “They teach you a lot in the academy.”

He says he is also comforted by the support of his fellow officers, who are always just a radio call away.

“I had to call for help during one of my first weeks out there,” he said. “There was some crazy stuff going on. Right away, you hear all these sirens coming toward you. You can have 20 cops there within seconds.

“It’s good to know that everyone’s got your back,” he added.

But the risk is always on the back of his mind. Several months ago, Cybulski was assaulted during a traffic stop. After pulling a car over, Cybulski found drugs inside the vehicle, and none of the occupants inside would provide him with any ID. As Cybulski was writing up tickets, a man inside the car jumped out and punched him.

“He started fighting with me,” Cybulski said. “He was trying to run away. I got hurt pretty bad.”

He learned later that his attacker already had several warrants out for his arrest. Cybulski recovered from his injuries, but he was out of work for a week and on limited duty for another two weeks. “It’s a little scary,” he said. “Every day we go to work we literally put our lives on the line.”

Cybulski says his mother worries incessantly about him back in Riverhead. He’s been on the force two and a half years now, but he still lets her know every night when his shift has ended. “She literally texts me every night,” he said, laughing. “She used to stay up and wait until I was done with my shift.”

Life as a cop in the country’s largest metropolis is not all foot chases and shoot-outs, however. A lot of Cybulski’s time is spent on police duties that are far less exciting.

“There’s so much paperwork,” he said. “If you get an arrest, you can get stuck there for hours. I had a DWI earlier this week where I was literally there from one in the morning until 4:30 the next day.”

But the job is still rewarding, he says. In light of the recent national conversation surrounding police behavior, Cybulski says he welcomes the chance to show city residents that cops are really there to help, not to harm.

“We’re the good guys,” he said. “Are there bad cops? Yes. But in reality, 99.9 percent are really good, hardworking men and women who want to make a difference in their communities.”

Cybulski tries to be a role model for the children he encounters while performing his duties. “You see all these kids in bad situations,” he said. “I try to talk to them and encourage them. People tell their kids not to talk to cops, that cops will take them away.

“I tell them that we’re here to help you,” he said. “Come to us if something’s wrong. That’s what we’re here for.”

Last month, Cybulski was honored for his service in a ceremony attended by his family and his girlfriend. The department awarded him a medal for discovering an illegal gun in a residence that resulted in the arrests of four people.

They also named him top cop of the month out of more than 600 officers in his precinct.

“It’s awesome to see all your hard work come together,” Cybulski said.

But most rewarding of all, Cybulski says, is having a job that lets him make a positive impact on people’s lives.

“I’ve always wanted to do something where I was helping people,” he said. “I get the chance to do that every day now.”